Lead Product Engineer, Ceramics & Coatings

Acara Solutions, Inc.; Tualatin (OR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Acara Solutions is seeking a Product Engineer 4 / Supplier Engineer to lead ceramic and coating supplier initiatives for advanced semiconductor products. You will own qualification plans, coordinate cross-functional teams, and ensure manufacturing readiness while mitigating material risks.

The role demands strong technical leadership, extensive experience with ceramic processes, and a proven ability to drive supplier recovery, qualify alternate materials, and manage complex quality and process

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Materials Science, Ceramic Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related with 5+ years of experience
• PhD in Materials Science, Ceramic Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related with 3+ years of experience
• 5+ years of experience in supplier engineering, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, or advanced materials development
• 3+ years of experience with ceramic manufacturing processes (forming, sintering, machining, grinding, polishing, finishing)
• 3+ years of experience with thermal spray coating technologies and materials (alumina, yttria, rare-earth oxides)
• 3+ years of experience evaluating material properties, powder characterization, and process impacts on product performance
• 2+ years of experience using characterization tools (SEM/EDS, XRD)
• 2+ years of experience using JMP, Minitab or similar statistical tools
• 3+ years experience in semiconductor equipment, materials, or advanced manufacturing industries

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Supplier Engineering SPOC for critical ceramic and coating suppliers.
• Lead technical efforts related to material shortages, supplier recovery, and supply continuity.
• Drive cross-functional execution from risk identification through containment, qualification, validation and production.
• Develop qualification plans, acceptance criteria, testing requirements, and change management with Product Groups.
• Lead supplier technical reviews focused on manufacturing capability and production readiness.
• Evaluate supplier processes including forming, sintering, machining, grinding, polishing, coating and finishing.
• Resolve supplier quality issues using structured problem-solving (8D, PSDMP, FMEA, 5-Why).
• Conduct root-cause investigations and drive CAPAs.
• Maintain material risk dashboards, trackers, qualification roadmaps, and executive reports.
• Communicate risks and findings to cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Support supplier audits, qualifications, transfers, and continuous improvement programs.

Skills

Supplier engineering

Materials science

Statistical analysis

Problem solving

Cross-functional leadership

Technical presentations

Quality management

Education

Master's in Materials Science / Ceramic Engineering

PhD in Materials Science / Ceramic Engineering

Tools

SEM/EDS

XRD

JMP

Minitab

Job description

Acara Solutions is seeking a Product Engineer 4 / Supplier Engineer to lead ceramic and coating supplier initiatives for advanced semiconductor products. You will own qualification plans, coordinate cross-functional teams, and ensure manufacturing readiness while mitigating material risks.

The role demands strong technical leadership, extensive experience with ceramic processes, and a proven ability to drive supplier recovery, qualify alternate materials, and manage complex quality and process